The chokehold has been banned by the NYPD for more than 20 years. The medical examiner ruled Eric Garner’s death a homicide.

Despite all of this evidence, the grand jury still failed to indict Pantaleo. Eric Garner was a husband, a father of six, and a grandfather, as well. It is devastating to think that while he lies dead in the ground, his killer remains a police officer on the streets of New York City.

As a black person living in New York City, I know the kind of havoc bad cops can wreak on our community. Black men and boys know the constant fear of stop-and-frisk, the inevitable truth that the cops can throw you up against a wall and pat you down anytime they want just because of the color of your skin, and arrest you if you don’t take it politely. The fragility of life is ever present. I was reminded of this just a couple of weeks ago while listening to Isaiah, a 14-year-old boy who looked like me, perform spoken word. His words haunted me then, even more now:

“In my neighborhood, there are no friends forever. Because one day it’s ‘hi,’ and the next day they die.”

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The Black Youth Project is a platform that highlights the voices and ideas of Black millennials. Through knowledge, voice, and action, we work to empower and uplift the lived experiences of young Black Americans today.